DroidStar
Digital Radio for free (almost)
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DroidStar
DroidStar
DroidStar and your Internet connected cell phone can make quite a pair. Don't want to spend money on a digital radio? Although you can't log directly to a local repeater, it is possible that you can find a local repeater tied directly into the Internet on one of the modes provided. To use DMR and sometimes some other digital modes, depending how they are configured, you'll need a DMR ID. Of course, for this you'll need a ham radio callsign. You can get your DMR ID here. As of June, 2025, the the supported modes are:
M17: A new and upcoming open source digital mode with nearly 200 reflectors worldwide as of Feb, 2024.
YSF: Yaesu System Fusion. No, you don't need a Yaesu radio to take advantage of this mode.
FCS: Very similar to YSF but not strictly compatible.
DMR: Digital Mobile Radio. We have a decent section on DMR on our website. The yellow text is a link that will take you there.
P25: An older Motorola digital system that has grown favor with the amateur crowd.
NXDN: Next Generation Digital Narrowband has its roots with Kenwood and Icom. Click on the yellow text for more info.
REF: I really couldn't find anything on that mode.
XRF: Not too much interest in that, apparently. You can check out the XRF hub page by Clicking Here.
DCS: I can't imagine it's Digitally Coded Squelch like it is on 144 MHz and 440 MHz (among others). Didn't really find anything specific.
IAX: Check out this YouTube video on IAXRPT. Don't know if it's the same thing...
Below, check out a video that will show you how to get DroidStar and use it with the Brandmeister DMR network. We'll be building more on this page as we obtain more info...keep checking back!
DroidStar is a very exciting way to make a live, 2-way connection to DMR, YSF, D-Star, P-25, and more from your Internet connected smart device with no further hardware needed in most cases.
Below are links to the vocoders, one of which you will need for DroidStar to function, depending your device's operating system. These files are hosted on pizzanbeer.net and are not specifically meant to be downloaded to your computer. Copy and paste or carefully enter the links below the heading of appropriate file based on your device into the vocoder section in the settings of the DroidStar app. If you are already on your smart device, just open this page on using you Internet browser, do a copy below and paste into the appropriate setting on the DroidStar app.
Win NT x86 & 64
http://pizzanbeer.net/droidstar/plugins/vocoder_plugin.winnt.x86_64
Win NT i386
http://pizzanbeer.net/droidstar/plugins/vocoder_plugin.winnt.i386
Linux x86 & 64
http://pizzanbeer.net/droidstar/plugins/vocoder_plugin.linux.x86_64
Linux i386
http://pizzanbeer.net/droidstar/plugins/vocoder_plugin.linux.i386
Linux ARM
http://pizzanbeer.net/droidstar/plugins/vocoder_plugin.linux.arm
Linux ARM64
http://pizzanbeer.net/droidstar/plugins/vocoder_plugin.linux.arm
IOS ARM64
http://pizzanbeer.net/droidstar/plugins/vocoder_plugin.ios.arm64
IOS ARM
http://pizzanbeer.net/droidstar/plugins/vocoder_plugin.ios.arm
Darwin x86 & 64
http://pizzanbeer.net/droidstar/plugins/vocoder_plugin.darwin.x86_64
Android ARM64
http://pizzanbeer.net/droidstar/plugins/vocoder_plugin.android.arm64
Link above is the most common for Android devices
Android ARM
http://pizzanbeer.net/droidstar/plugins/vocoder_plugin.android.arm
Video: How to Install DroidStar on an IOS Device
Got an IPhone? Currently that app is in beta testing so it's not available on the app store. You can download Test Flight from the app store and become part of the beta testers for DroidStar on IOS. The video above should be helpful as well as the instructions below.
To install DroidStar on your iOS device and enjoy digital ham radio modes, follow these steps:
Install TestFlight:
Download and install the TestFlight app from the App Store.
Open TestFlight.
Join the Beta Test:
In your browser, search for DroidStar iOS.
Click on the link to join the beta test.
Install DroidStar from TestFlight.
Configure DroidStar:
Open DroidStar and enter your call sign and DMR ID under settings.
Enable or disable TX toggle mode as per your preference.
Select YSF Mode:
On the main screen, choose YSF mode.
Click on hosts and select the host you want to connect to (e.g., US-IN 7LGN Radio or US-America Link).
Transmit and Enjoy:
Press and hold the TX button to transmit; release to stop.
Now you’re ready to experience digital ham radio on your iOS device!
Please note that for DMR, ensure you’ve created a password (via HotSpot security) on the Brandmeister website and set it within the DroidStar app settings. The Tx button is a toggle, so tap it twice to register in the talk group.
This iOS version of DroidStar is a branch off the DUDE-Star Github project, which can also compile to work on Linux, Raspberry Pi, and MacOS. Happy ham radio adventures!
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